Hillary is a legend in the Lefties' mind. Her string of accomplishments are even less than The Zero's (if such a thing could be possible).

The Hildabeast will play coy and talk a good game for the next year or so - and then fill out her term and go away with somebody other than Willie - the poor woman deserves that, at least - and we will never hear of her again.

PS No, mad, you are absolutely right. Hilla is in a purpose-designed dead end post.

I predict that Hilary will be the next Prez and it will happen in 2011.

First, she will resign. Some flakey non-political reason like wanting to spend more time with her family.

Biden, with his encyclopedic grasp of foreign policy will be asked to step into the Sec State job.

This leaves the VP slot vacant. Who better to fill it than Hilary? She will decide that the call of public duty (or the chance to get her snout in the trough) is more important than family time and will accept.

The House and Senate will quickly confirm both Slow Joe and Hilary. This will most likely happen right before the end of the year while the Dems have a majority in the House and a larger majority in the Senate.

By June, Obama decides he is not feeling so well and resigns the presidency for reasons of health.

Hillary is both smart and competent, viz. neither she nor her husband has yet spent a day in jail, and with Hillary it's going to be all about reaching safe harbor and protecting her illgotten gains. She is going to triangulate all around, and will not be pushing any ideologies likely to cause more unwanted attacks on her than she can handle.

My sarcasm tag on Biden's foreign policy expertise didn't come through. I think he would be even worse than Hilary in the job.

Doesn't mean that he doe not have a reputation for it. I have no idea why.

Lisa:As to Hilary's experience and competency? Could you please provide some details on that?

Her only experience has been as Bill Clinton's wife. Hired as an associate by Rose Law when he became AG. Promoted to partner when he became gov. Sat on Walmart's board (but apparently did not attend meetings) because it looks good to have the governor's wife working for you.

Totally botched the White House travel office and Clinton care.

Elected Sen from NY, a state she had hardly even heard of before because she was Ms Bill Clinton.

Accomplished nothing in the Senate.

And so on.

So Lisa, or anyone else, perhaps you could share some of Hilary's accomplishments with us?

Can someone explain how any Democrat can win without the black vote? Can they further explain how it would be possible to challenge Obama and still retain the black vote?....These are fanciful ideas. After Hillary resigns, if there is any talk of a Presidential run, it's sole purpose will be to boost her speaking fees or sales of her new memoirs, The Diddle Years.

I had just come back from an archeology survey to expand a wind farm in the National Forest in Vermont, when a petitioner arrived just before Thanksgiving, at the door to allow our then NY junior US Senator, Hillary Clinton, to run for President. They had just voted to impeach VP Cheney of the floor of the House, which was sidelined by some administrative rule, and VP Cheney went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, recently, "changed" by DNA and P Bush went to Waco, Texas for Veterans Day, the holiday that came out of the "War To End All Wars" WWI ("11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month"). I find that Sec. Clinton seems to rise to the crises in government and what may be may be...que sera sera. So far no grandstanding "uber mensch" has occurred as it did with the former Sec. Rice to cover lapses in judgement, imho.

I heard her speak on foreign policy at Princeton University on TV so I might be in the "nature abhors a vacuum" naivete, though.

What's funny about this topic is that it's premised on the notion that if she did run a year from now -- after having absolutely, positively, denied today, in all potential tenses and senses, that she would do so -- we would think that broken promise might somehow be significant or even note-worthy.

But in any event, it's a denial from a professional career politician. For pete's sake, it's from a Clinton.

What would be significant or noteworthy is if it turns out later that she's telling the truth now.

Just what is she experienced in. From what I have seen diplomacy is not one of them nor is common sense. The ability to overlook major sins and failures in others is one of them but is that what we want in a president? Managing things is also not one of her skills as she has been a miserable failure as a Sec of State. Which leaves what exactly. Can write a book?